Focus on Bright Spots

Bringing about change is tough stuff. Chip and Dan Heath, in their recent book titled “How to Change Things When Change is Hard” talk about Bright Spots, or things that are working. They wisely posit that instead of focusing on things that are broken, it’s better to talk about bright spots that are not only working but also worth replicating.

In reading this, I was reminded of strategies for restoration of rain forests; well-intentioned reformers tried to repair rain forest damage on a large scale, but failed, until a group had the brilliant insight. They noticed that parts of the rain forest were naturally regrowing despite any efforts; so they decided to nurture the naturally regrowing parts and provided them room to expand. Slowly but surely the patches began to expand and reconnect with each other – creating larger and larger patches of restored rainforests.

Peter Drucker, one of my heroes, famously said “Effective people build on strengths – their own, and their colleagues’. They do not build on weakness.”

Tough pill. Counter intuitive. Wise counsel.

Light art by James Turrell, one of my favorites artists. Photo courtesy of design boom